


scaling

by Servetolive



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Dark Romance, Dark fluff, Drabble, M/M, Murder, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Plot Twists, Spooky, Stream of Consciousness, Unconventional Format, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Writing Exercise, Written on the phone, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:26:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26745847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Servetolive/pseuds/Servetolive
Summary: In which Reno is constantly at the docks bodying someone, and every time a corpse falls into water, Prince Cloud thinks it's a gift for him.
Relationships: Reno/Cloud Strife
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	scaling

**Author's Note:**

> This is a drabble I wrote on my phone while I was out smoking, enjoying the beginnings of fall, trying to de-stress. The idea popped into my head, sounded stupid, and I just jammed it out. I really like it. The format is fucked. I didn't give a single word a second thought. (except for "daddy." changed it to Papa. @_@)
> 
> The emojis stay. Happy October.

... So he drags each body back to the Water King Sephiroth, and says, "Look Papa, he gave me another one!"

Sephiroth: Who now?

Cloud: The Red-Headed Fisherman that gives, but never takes?

Sephiroth: *examines body* 🤨 idk lad, I'm pretty sure those are victims of foul play

Cloud: No, they're dolls. Giant ones.

Sephiroth: Dolls that turn to coral after two months? Usually they're made of that plastic stuff that the seahorses choke on...

Cloud: That means they're real, and more valuable, since they don't hurt us! He's the one. 😍

Sephiroth: ... *pats him on the head* young fool. Why can't you be normal like your brothers here?

Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo: *fighting over plankton, digging in nose, writing a corny operetta*

Cloud sighs and swims to the surface to lament to the half moon that his sheltered family doesn't take his designs to experience Life Beyond the Foam seriously. He spots Reno there, about to light a cigarette.

Reno hears a ripple in the water. At first, he believes that he may not have properly tied the weights to the body well enough, but there's enough moonlight visible to bounce off of a few shimmering scales, pale skin and glowing blue eyes.

"The fuck...?"

His cigarette falls from his mouth into the water, followed by the lighter. He's seeing things.

He blinks, and the creature is gone.

He shakes his head and steps away from the ledge, placing another cigarette into his mouth. "Gotta chill on the hallucinogens," he tells himself. He reaches into his pocket, and finds empty space.

Fuck. That was his last one.

Cloud watches him go, just below the surface, and reaches out to take the cigarette and lighter below with him.

When he tries to place the cigarette into his mouth, it sags. Quickly, he tries to click the lighter into action before it crumbles completely, and fails.

Sad, but happy to have another artifact, he dives below to meet his family for dinner.

The next time the Fisherman comes to the docks, there is quite a bit of commotion. Cloud goes to investigate and sees that one of the giant dolls is fighting the Fisherman.

Cloud watches, wide eyed and fearful as the two of them fall into the dock together, and dives.

Even though it's dark and they're below water, his Fisherman moves like one of them, dodging each punch and kick the way an angler fish darts about; twisting his body from the Living Doll's grip gracefully, the way an eel does.

Still, the Doll is much larger than him. He wraps his two large arms around his Fisherman's neck. Cloud watches in horror as the whites from his teeth show and a school of bubbles escapes through them.

He looks straight at him. He sees Cloud. He's going to drown.

Quickly, Cloud dives down to the shallow bed. He finds a piece of rope slung around an old piece of hand-shaped coral, and makes his way back to the melee. He throws the rope around the Doll's neck, in the same way he had seen the Fisherman do, and crosses them behind his neck.

The red-head breaks free, and climbs frantically to the surface. The Doll tries desperately to reach behind himself for Cloud, but his scales slip out of his hands, cutting them open.

It takes all of his strength, but he doesn't let go until he stops moving.

On the surface, Reno holds onto a wooden leg beneath the dock, gasping for air, expelling poisoned water from his lungs. Beside him, his mark's corpse bouys up, startling him.

Behind him, the blonde Fish Boy.

Cloud swims toward him, and then stops to observe. His eyes are wide, the color of foam, but he doesn't scream. He doesn't swim away.

He isn't scared, like the other Bipedals.

When he swims even closer, he's delighted that his Fisherman slips a gentle arm around his waist, neither tearing his scales nor injuring himself.

"What the fuck _are_ you?" He whispers.

Cloud can hear him, but he doesn't understand. He can't respond, either.

But he had heard his father's friend Tseng, who was very old and wise, and had been among Bipedals, say that a kiss was an interspecies gateway to communication.

So he kisses him.

Reno doesn't fight it, or push away; not until he can't breathe. The moment that occurs, Cloud grabs hold of his lapels and dives below with him, holding him, until there are no more bubbles emerging from their mouths.


End file.
